DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

"Platform inspection" means any inspection and/or certification performed on a lot that has no defined per unit charges for the service.)) "Certificate" means an official document issued by the director which reports certification results.

((The department has)) There are two fruit and vegetable inspection districts((, which are)):

(1) ((Fruit and vegetable inspection)) District two((, which)) consists of Asotin, Benton, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Franklin, Garfield, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania, ((Yakima, Pacific, Lewis,)) Wahkiakum, ((Cowlitz, Clark, Benton, Franklin,)) Walla Walla, ((Columbia, Asotin,)) Whitman, and ((Garfield)) Yakima counties((; and)).

(2) ((Fruit and vegetable inspection)) District four((, which)) consists of Adams, Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, ((Clallam, Island, Mason,)) King, Kitsap, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, ((King, Snohomish, Skagit, Grant, Adams, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Spokane, Lincoln, San Juan, Whatcom, Chelan, Douglas)) and ((Okanogan)) Whatcom counties.

A minimum fee of one-half hour under the applicable hourly fee specified in WAC 16-390-025(1) will be charged for any inspection service.

(5) The department charges a fee of fifty dollars per hour, with a minimum certificate charge of twenty-five dollars, when an inspection is requested only to verify the product, conveyance, markings, or other factors not related to quality.)) There is a fee of twenty-five dollars for each certificate issued, EXCEPT that a grade and condition certificate will be issued upon completion of a certification with no additional fee beyond the applicable CWT or hourly fee.

(1) Effective January 1, 2015, the hourly inspection fee is $65.00 per hour for regular hours and $97.50 for overtime and holiday hours for any inspection service that is not covered by CWT fees.

(2) Effective January 1, 2017, the hourly inspection fee is $75.00 per hour for regular hours and $112.50 per hour for overtime and holiday hours for any inspection service that is not covered by CWT fees.

(3) An additional fee amounting to three regular hours, plus the inspection fees for time worked, at the applicable hourly fee specified in this section will be charged when inspection service notification is not given prior to the end of normal business hours on the day preceding any weekend or holiday inspection work.

(5) When an inspection is requested only to verify the product, conveyance, markings, or other factors not related to quality, the department charges the rate of fifty dollars per hour, with a minimum certificate charge of twenty-five dollars.)) The following inspection and certification services are charged fees based on the stated CWT fee, provided that if the applied CWT fee would result in a charge less than the applicable hourly fee under WAC 16-390-025 for the staff hours worked, the applicable hourly fee will be assessed.

(2))) The fees for federal-state grade and condition ((certificates)) CAIP certification for all fresh market fruits and vegetables in any type of containers (((wrapped, place pack, face and fill), bags, master containers, consumer packages, or loose in bulk cartons, boxes, crates, bins, or bags are:

(1) Each shipment of apples, apricots, ((Italian prunes, peaches, pears, dark sweet cherries, Rainier cherries and asparagus must be covered by a shipping permit. All other sweet cherries, whether certified or not, must have a shipping permit indicating freedom from cherry fruit fly larvae.

(c) A permit to ship apples and/or pears to a by-product plant outside the state is three dollars)) asparagus, Italian prunes, peaches, pears, and sweet cherries must be covered by a shipping permit or certificate of compliance. No shipping permit or certificate of compliance will be issued unless the sweet cherries are determined to be free from live Western cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis indifferens) larvae at the time of shipment.

(5) A shipping permit or certificate of compliance to ship a lot of apples or pears to a processing plant outside the state is five dollars.

The fee for the apple ((pest certification, using the)) maggot survey ((method,)) program on all ((fresh)) apples ((produced)) grown or packed in Washington state ((or marketed under Washington state grades)) and ((standards,)) introduced into commerce for sale or shipment as fresh apples is $.015 per ((cwt. or fraction thereof)) CWT. This fee is assessed by the director on all certificates of compliance and all shipping permits.

(1) The ((fresh produce)) fee for USDA audit verification ((program is a federal-state inspection service program that reviews and verifies a participating company's facility and agronomic practices, along with its documented procedures, to help determine if "good agricultural practices" and "good handling practices" are maintained)) services are $92.00 per hour as per the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621).

(3) The fee for terminal market inspection services is $74.00 per hour, $151.00 per lot for a carlot equivalent of each product, and $125.00 per lot for one-half carlot equivalent or less of each product. The fee for each additional lot of the same product is $69.00. The overtime fee is an additional $38.00 per hour. The fee for a holiday is an additional $74.00 per hour. The mileage fee related to terminal market inspection services is $1.32 per mile. USDA fees for lots and mileage are regulated by 7 C.F.R. 51.38 and 51.40, respectively, and are current as of August 5, 2014.

(1) ((Department)) Other services not involving certification services, provided to other agencies, commissions, growers, businesses, and organizations are charged at the ((rate of fifty dollars per hour)) applicable hourly fee specified in WAC 16-390-025.

(2) ((The charge for mileage related to)) Other inspection and certification services ((is)), such as bean, pea, lentil, hay or straw certification provided to other programs in the department, other agencies, commissions, growers, businesses, and organizations are charged at the ((rate established by the office of financial management (OFM) at the time the service was performed)) applicable hourly fee specified in WAC 16-390-025.

(3) The ((department may charge)) fee for ((telegrams,)) facsimile((,)) or electronic transmission of inspection documents ((at the rate of four)) not provided with certification services is five dollars per transmission ((in addition to any Western Union charges made directly to the applicant)).

(4) The ((cost of extra copies)) fee for a certified copy of an original ((documents)) certificate is ((four)) five dollars ((per set.

(6) When, through no fault of the inspection service, it is necessary to retype or reissue a document, the cost of retyping or reissuing the document is four dollars per set)).

(4) Additional hourly or overtime charges will not be assessed when the per unit inspection charge in any one day equals or exceeds the basic hourly and/or overtime charge.)) All certification services performed outside of regular business hours are charged a fee equivalent to the applicable overtime fee specified in WAC 16-390-025 unless an applicable CWT fee meets or exceeds the overtime fee.

((The department may waive inspection fees)) Certificate of compliance fees may be waived for fruits and vegetables donated to bona fide nonprofit organizations ((if)). The shipping containers ((are)) must be conspicuously labeled or marked "not for resale."

(1) All fees and charges for services rendered are due within thirty days after the date of the billing statement ((you receive from the department)).

(2) If ((your)) payment is not received within thirty days, service may be withheld until ((your)) the delinquent account is paid in full.

(3) ((If your account is delinquent, the department may require that you pay cash for subsequent services.

(4))) The ((department assesses)) director may assess a penalty of eighteen percent per annum on all ((delinquent)) unpaid account balances thirty days after billing.